Brightsky's choice
by froststar2009
Summary: brightsky must pick the one she loved or her clan.


_Brightkit, get back here!" Brightkit's mother,_ Brindlefur called from the nursery. Brightkit sheathed her claws and let her tiny body slither down the branch she was clinging on to. Echokit, her sister, poked her head out from behind Brindlefur. Her eyes sparkled and she looked at Brightkit gleefully. Brightkit frowned. She'd won the bet.  
"Brindlefur you weren't suppose to notice me!" Brightkit whined.  
"Well I did," Brindlefur scolded sternly. Brightkit's head drooped. She trudged to her nest and Echokit bounded behind.  
"That means I get the first bite of mouse next time!" Echokit teased.  
"Yeah yeah," Brightkit meowed and spun on her sister. Her eyes glinted mischievously. She pounced on her back. Echokit squealed as she tumbled to the ground.  
"Can you two little badgers take that outside?" Larkwing growled from a dark corner of the nursery. Her tabby grey belly was swollen with unborn kits. They should be born any day now.  
Echokit rolled her eyes. "Sorry Larkwing," she mumbled and bounded outside with Brightkit on her tail.  
"Larkwing is a grumpy old badger herself," grumbled Brightkit.  
"Yeah well we'll be apprentices any day now so we won't have to put up with her for long" Echokit reasoned.  
Brightkit felt happier at that. "Now where were we?" she mewed and jumped on her sister. They tussled in the dust until their pelts were full of grit. Although Echokit's silver pelt hid most of the dust. Both littermates giggled and bounded away.

"Brightpaw! Echopaw!" The clan cheered as Brightpaw touched noses with her new mentor, Emberfrost. Echopaw sat next to her new mentor, Jayclaw. Excitement bubbled inside Brightpaw's stomach.  
"Can we start training?" Brightpaw looked hopefully into Emberfrost's blue gaze. Emberfrost nodded. Echopaw let out a squeal.  
"It's one of the most important duties of an apprentice," Jayclaw mewed in a gruff voice. Brightpaw's eyes widened. They had barely been apprentices for a moment and they were already doing important things!  
"It's..." Emberfrost began. Echopaw and Brightpaw leaned forward. "Checking the elder's for ticks!" Emberfrost finished. Brightpaw's mouth hung low to the ground.  
Jayclaw's dark blue eyes lit up with amusement. "Well you better get on with it then now shouldn't you? And then you can change their mosss," he said. Echopaw and Brightpaw looked at each other disappointedly. Surely hunting and fighting for their clan was more important than cleaning out the old cat's bedding. The elders didn't do anything anyway. They didn't hunt or fight. They were pretty good at telling stories though.  
"I guess we better go do it then," Echopaw mumbled. Brightpaw nodded and the two littermates set off.

Brightpaw shuffled her paws impatiently as she waited by the camp entrance. Echopaw bounced up and down excitedly, her blue eyes shining.  
"I can't believe we're finally going to see Windclan territory!" Echopaw said.  
Brightpaw nodded. _I can't wait to see the moor! _She had heard many stories from the elders of their territory and Brightpaw had longed to see it. Jayclaw and Emberfrost padded up to the two young apprentices.  
"Excited are we?" Emberfrost asked. Both sisters nodded.  
"Well let's get a move on," meowed Jayclaw. His smooth black pelt shone in the sun. Emberfrost, Echopaw and Jayclaw pushed through the thorn barrier, Brightpaw on their tail.  
_This is it! _Brightpaw thought excitedly. She held her breath as she emerged out into the open. The blinding light clouded her vision and she squinted. When Brightpaw's eyes adjusted to the light she gasped in awe. The moor stretched far out and hills rolled out on all sides like grassy blankets. To her right, Brightpaw could see the lake that had been mentioned more than once by the warriors in camp. It was huge! The clear blue water glistened like diamonds in the hot Greenleaf sun. On one side of the lake there was a small island. A fallen tree connected the island to the mainland like a bridge.  
"Brightpaw are you coming?" Echopaw called from further away where Jayclaw and Emberfrost were padding toward a forest.  
"Coming!" Brightpaw called and scrambled after her sister and the two older cats, relishing the feeling of the grass and earth under her paws, so much more comfortable than the sandy hollow which was her camp. The grass stalks danced in the light breeze. Before long the four cats reached the edge of a forest seperated from the moor by a stream. The breeze carried a strange scent that Brightpaw had never smelt before. She opened her mouth to taste the strange smell. She wrinkled her nose. It smelled of wood, sap and some sort of prey that didn't smell very nice.  
"Ah that's Thunderclan scent you're smelling there," meowed Emberfrost.  
"It smells terrible!" exclaimed Echopaw.  
"All the clan's smell terrible," growled Jayclaw.  
"How do Thunderclan live under all those trees? How are they supposed to run?" Echpaw asked.  
"All Thunderclan cats are cowards, hiding in the forest," Jayclaw said matter of factly.  
"Can we cross the stream and say hello to the Thunderclan cats?" Brightpaw asked.  
"No!" Emberfrost meowed, staring at Brightpaw like she had lost her mind. Brightpaw winced at the harshness in her mentor's voice. "Why not?" Brightpaw asked.  
"You're not supposed to cross borders! Every cat knows that!" Echopaw said.  
"I just thought we could be friends with all the clans," Brightpaw mumbled.  
Emberfrost sighed. "I wish it were that simple Brightpaw," she mewed sympathetically. "But you will never cross a clan border, do you promise me?" Emberfrost looked at her with round, ice blue eyes.  
Brightpaw nodded solemnly. _I will never understand borders. _

Echopaw rolled on her back, enjoying the last of the day's warmth. Brightpaw's muscles ached all over. She groaned. She had never walked so far in her life. They had visited both Thunderclan and Riverclan borders. Shadowclan was on the other side of the lake and there was no way they could go there. Brightpaw remembered seeing lots of shadows and pine trees. It didn't look very exciting anyway. Rabbitkit, Bumblekit and Petalkit, Larkwing's kits born only a few days before, bounded over to the two apprentices.  
"What was he moor like?" Rabbitkit asked, looking at them with interested green eyes. They stood out on his sandy colored fur like a white cat in a forest.  
"It was amazing!" Echokit gushed. Brightpaw decided to let her explain. She closed her eyes sleepily and listened as Echokit told them about the day's adventure.

Brightpaw and Echopaw stood side by side in a shallow hollow near the Windclan camp. They were going to learn battle moves! Echopaw fidgeted excitedly.  
Ok you two," Emberfrost paced the middle of the clearing. "Today you are going to learn some basic battle moves. Brightpaw, come over here," Emberfrost beckoned Brightpaw with her long ginger tail. Brightpaw bounded forward. "Stand over there," Emberfrost gestured to a spot with her tail. Brightpaw padded to where Emberfrost had told her to. "Now I want you to pounce on this leaf," Emberfrost hooked a stray leaf with her claws and placed it a few tail lengths from where Brightpaw was standing. Brightpaw crouched low and pounced. She writhed in the air and lost her balance. She fell to the ground with a thump in a sprawling pile of ginger and white fur. "Try crouching like this," Emberfrost suggested. She crouched low so her belly fur was brushing the ground lightly. Her tail sweeped the sand, leaving a trail. She placed a paw in front of her and pounced. She landed squarely on the the leaf and shredded it with her claws.  
"Let me have a go!" Echopaw mewed and positioned herself like Emberfrost. She pounced and landed on one of the scraps of leaf. "Well done!" Jayclaw called from where he was observing the three cats in the shade. Echopaw beamed proudly at her mentor. Brightpaw felt a twinge of jealousy for her sister. She crouched low and adjusted her paws like Emberfrost. She pounced but in mid air but fell slightly lop sided. She landed half a tail length from the nearest bit of leaf.  
"Good try Brightpaw. You'll get it with practice," Emberfrost meowed encouragingly.  
"But you didn't get it," Echopaw mewed teasingly and nudged her. Brightpaw forced a purr at her sister's joke but deep inside she felt hurt.  
"Try again," Emberfrost suggested. Brightpaw sighed and crouched again. She leaped and this time almost landed on the leaf. She could feel her mentor's burning blue gaze on her back. She padded away from the leaf and readied herself again. Moments before she pounced a flicker of movement caught her eye. A rabbit. Brightpaw distractedly pushed off on one leg and flew through the air. She writhed in the air trying to balance herself. She plummeted to the ground, landing on her paw. There was a sickening thud.

Brightpaw opened her eyes. Woven branches blocked the sun. The smell of strange plants and herbs filled her nostrils. She wrinkled her nose. A ginger and brown head was staring at her. Robinwing, Windclan's medicine cat.  
"Snowpaw fetch me some lavender," Robinwing called behind to her apprentice.  
"Sure thing Robinwing!" Snowpaw answered. Brightpaw saw Snowpaw's fluffy white tail disappear into the hollow of a tree where the herbs were kept.  
"How are you feeling?" Robinwing asked gently. Brightpaw blinked until her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the medicine den.  
"Did someone carry me here?" Brightpaw mumbled, ignoring Robinwing's question.  
"That would be me," Jayclaw me meowed from the medicine den entrance. He padded toward her and settled down next to her bed of moss. "Echopaw wanted to see if you were ok," he added. Bright paw realized that Echopaw had been walking nervously behind Jayclaw. She looked at Brightpaw with wide blue eyes. She stared at Brightpaw but not her face. Brightpaw followed her gaze. She gasped. Her front right paw was twisted in a strange direction. A stick had been tied to her paw with grass stalks. Brightpaw looked up and realized she was shaking.  
"Will I be able to be a warrior any more?" she asked. The thought made her wince.  
"It'll heal," Robinwing promised.  
At that moment Snowpaw returned with a bunch of purple flowers in her mouth. "Eat these," she mumbled around her mouthful. She dropped the lavender by Brightpaw's nest.  
"They're for shock," Robinwing explained. Brightpaw's wrinkled her nose in disgust as she gulped down the herbs.  
Echopaw crept forward. "You scared me," she mewed. "You weren't moving. I... I thought you might be dead," she murmured. Brightpaw recalled excruciating pain in her paw as she hit the ground. It was painful but no where near enough to kill a cat.  
It was just a fall," Brightpaw reassured her sister.  
"You're going to have to stay in the medicine den for a while though," Robinwing meowed.  
A cold stone dropped in Brightpaw's stomach. "But how am I supposed to become a great warrior if I can't train!" Brightpaw argued. "You'll be training before long but if you train now you might never become a warrior," Robinwing said. Brightpaw slumped in her nest. "Don't worry Brightpaw!" Echopaw piped up. "I can show you what I learn and I promise I won't become a warrior before you!" She assured her littermate. Brightpaw felt a bit better.  
"Now you guys should probably leave. Brightpaw needs to rest if she wants to get better," Robinwing meowed and bustled Jayclaw and Echopaw out the medicine den.  
"See you later Brightpaw!" Echopaw called over get shoulder.  
Brightpaw rested her head on her paws. The sky was rapidly growing dark outside and the moon gleamed like a shining white pearl in the sky. Brightpaw closed her eyes and let blackness sweep her up into sleep.

Brightpaw took a deep breath. For a moon she had been confined to the medicine den. Echopaw had visited her everyday and showed her new hunting skills and battle techniques but it only made Brightpaw more restless. Finally Robinwing had given the news Brightpaw had wanted to hear. She could start training again! Brightpaw emerged from the medicine den in the camp. Heads turned her way almost immediately. "Brightpaw!" Echopaw exclaimed and rushed up to meet her sister. Rabbitkit, Bumblekit and Petalkit bounded excitedly up to her.  
"Brightpaw!" Bumblepaw mewled excitedly.  
"Does that mean you can play with us now?" Petalkit looked up Brightpaw with innocent round purple eyes.  
Brightpaw beamed at the kits. "Of course," she meowed.  
"But first we need you to start training!" Echopaw meowed. Emberfrost was already waiting beside Jayclaw at the camp entrance.  
"It's good to see you well again," she meowed as Brightpaw and Echopaw approached her. Brightpaw dipped her head in response.  
"And you better be feeling better because tonight you and Echopaw are going to the gathering!" Ember frost announced.  
Brightpaw gasped. Her first gathering!  
Echopaw squealed excitedly like a kit.  
Full of energy, Brightpaw bounded after her mentor.

Brightpaw sat down near the camp entrance. Thornstar and the deputy, Gorseclaw sat with their heads together, murmuring. Robinwing and Snowpaw padded out the medicine den and headed for the cluster of cats. Echopaw bounced excitedly in circles.  
"I can't believe we're if finally going to a gathering!" she gushed.  
"I wonder what the other clans are like?" Brightpaw meowed.  
Thornstar called from the entrance, "it's time to leave!" And he leaped through the entrance with Gorseclaw on his heels. Also joining the patrol was Emberfrost, Jayclaw, Shimmerpelt, a glossy black she cat, Grassclaw, a sandy colored tom, Sorrelpelt, a tortoiseshell she cat, Timberpelt, a brown tom and Badgerfur, a black Tom with a white stripe down his back. The cats raced across the moor. Brightpaw felt her muscles stretching. It had been so long since she had run on these hills. The grass was a blur, flashing past as she ran. Echopaw kept pace with her even though Brightpaw knew she could go faster. Riverclan was crossing the tree bridge when Windclan arrived. Brightpaw could smell Thnderclan. They were here already. She could also smell sap and pine trees mixed with rats and mud. It smelled disgusting. That must be Shadowclan.  
Emberfrost nudged Brightpaw. "It's your turn to jump up now," she meowed. Brightpaw gulped. She bunched her haunches and sprang high in the air. She landed on the tree and began to warily pad across it. She unsheathed her claws and duh them into the soft, rotting wood. The tree rocked underneath her as Echopaw jumped on.  
Brightpaw breathed a sigh if relief as she landed safely on the island. Her paws crunched on pebbles but they quickly turned to earth and leaves. She pushed through the bushes and emerged in a clearing. She gasped. There were so many cats! Cats from all clans were chatting in groups. Warriors chatted about how they chased a fox off their territory or tracked a pigeon from the other side of the territory and apprentices boasted and competed with each other. Brightpaw shrunk back into the bushes and flattened her ears.  
"Don't worry," Emberfrost breathed in her ear, making her jump. "Just don't give away too much about the clan," Emberfrost advised and bounded away to greet a silver tabby Riverclan she cat.  
Brightpaw took a deep breath and padded out into the open. Echopaw was chatting with a group of apprentices and Brightpaw went to join them.  
"Brightpaw look! I made some new friends!" Echopaw exclaimed. "This is Minnowpaw of Riverclan," a mottled brown she cat with pale blue eyes dipped her head, "and this is Littlepaw of Thunderclan," Echopaw nodded to a black and white tom with amber eyes.  
"Hi," Brightpaw meowed, trying to sound friendly. Echopaw went back to chatting with the two apprentices. Brightpaw listened quietly. She looked at her surroundings. A massive tree, bigger than anything Brightpaw had ever seen towered at one end of the clearing. The leaders gathered together and started jumping onto the trees lower branches. The deputies clustered at the base of the tree and the medicine cats took their place at one end of the clearing in the shadows of a fern. Another group of apprentices were comparing battle moves. One of them, a ginger tom was creeping around a black tom. A tortoiseshell she cat was pouncing on a sandy colored tom. Suddenly a grey tabby apprentice burst from a crowd of warriors and pounced on the ginger tom. He rolled back and jumped up.  
"I bet you didn't see that coming Oakpaw!" he chortled.  
The ginger tom blinked in surprise. "Yeah well you better watch your tail from now on Ashpaw!" growled Oakpaw and playfully swiped him over the ear.  
"Let the gathering begin!" Rainstar, Sadowclan's leader announced. All the cats in the clearing hushed and sat down. The full moon shone high in the sky, flooding the clearing with silvery light.  
"Riverclan is well," Rainstar began. "Prey is running and the marsh has not failed us this greenleaf" Rainstar stepped back into the shadows of the leaves.  
Their star stepped forward now. His sandy colored pelt shone silver in the moonlight. "Windclan's is also well. We have two new apprentices, Brightpaw and Echopaw," he meowed.  
"Brightpaw! Echopaw!" all four clans cheered, Windclan's loudest of all. Brightpaw puffed out her chest proudly. Echopaw looked equally proud.  
Cinder star of Riverclan and Nightstar of Thunderclan made their announcements as well.  
"The gathering is over," Thornstar's voice echoed around the clearing. The cats scattered and merged in a group with their clan. Brightpaw waited for her turn to jump onto the tree bridge. A pair of blue eyes were staring at her from the shadows. Ashpaw!  
She looked back at him. His deep blue eyes were mysterious but intriguing. They widened when they caught her eye and Ashpaw hurried away. Brightpaw realized her stomach felt funny. Something about his eyes drew her back to him. Her heart skipped a beat. No! She shook her head. She didn't like him did she? No, it was against the warrior code. It was nothing. She'd seen him twice and hadn't even talked to him. It must have been the rabbit she had eaten before they left.  
But as she reached Windclan's territory her mind wouldn't think of anything else. She glanced back and saw him staring right back at her.

"Brightpaw are you listening?" Emberfrost meowed impatiently. Brightpaw blinked. It had been half a moon since the gathering and every night her dreams were filled with Ashpaw. She didn't understand! She was distracted everyday and she had a longing feeling to see him again.  
"Brightpaw!" Emberfrost repeated.  
"Sorry Emberfrost," Brightpaw mumbled.  
Emberfrost looked Brightpaw up and down. "You seem distracted lately. Is there something wrong?" she asked.  
Brightpaw shook her head. "No, Im just tired."  
Emberfrost frowned. "Ok then," she meowed. "Let's get on with the lesson then."  
Brightpaw got into a hunters crouch and crept toward the stick that she had been pretending was a rabbit. She pounced and landed a little off.  
"Brightpaw, are you sure you're ok?" Emberfrost asked, concerned.  
Brightpaw shook her head. "Actually I have a belly ache. Can I go see Robinwing?" Brightpaw fibbed.  
Emberfrost nodded. "Of course. You rest as long as you need to."  
Brightpaw dipped her head and jumped out the training hollow and headed for camp. Emberfrost was heading the opposite way. She was probably hunting. A cold breeze blew through the air. Leaf fall was approaching fast and before long prey would be sheltering in burrows and nests. Brightpaw entered the camp and headed straight for her nest. She flopped down in the soft moss and closed her eyes. What's wrong with me? Brightpaw thought. I can't concentrate and I can't stop thinking about Ashpaw! Maybe that was it! Maybe if she saw Ashpaw she would know if she really liked him or not! A plan began unfolding in Brightpaw's mind...

Brightpaw lay with her eyes closed, listening for the rhythmic breathing of Echopaw sleeping. The moon shone high in the sky. When Brightpaw knew that everyone was asleep she stood up and quietly crept out of the apprentices den. Featherstorm was guarding the entrance so Brightpaw exited camp through the dirt place tunnel.  
When she was out on open moor she dashed across the grass heading for the Riverclan border. She knew this risky but she had to know if what she felt for Ashpaw was real. The night was still and cold and Brightpaw found herself shivering.  
She reached the border in no time at all. She tasted the air and cautiously walked over the border, keeping low to the ground, making sure she didn't disturb any shrubbery or stepped on any twigs. She heard a rustle. A patrol this late! Brightpaw froze and looked wildly around her for something to hide behind. She leaped behind a holly bush. A brown tabby tom and a grey she cat padded tail lengths from the bush that Brightpaw was hiding behind. There was another cat to. No. It couldn't be. Ashpaw! She had to get his attention somehow. She slowly let her tail sweep in his path. He trod on it and yelped.  
"What's going on Ashpaw?" The brown tabby growled. Ashpaw looked at Brightpaw and his eyes widened.  
"I... I think I trod on a thorn. You go ahead," he stuttered.  
The grey she cat eyed him suspiciously. "Let's keep moving," she meowed to the brown tom. "Ashpaw can catch up and the sooner we finish the patrol the sooner I can go sleep in my nest" she meowed and the two cats headed into the bushes. When they had disappeared Ashpaw spun around and stared at her.  
"What are you doing here?" he hissed.  
Brightpaw felt uncomfortable. She hasn't thought this far into the future.  
"I... I needed to check something..." Brightpaw began.  
"Actually I'm glad you came," Ashpaw interrupted her.  
"You are?" Brightpaw asked bewildered.  
Ashpaw look at his paws and took a deep breath. "Ever since the gathering I've been thinking about you..." he mumbled.  
Brightpaw gasped. He had been thinking about her!  
"I know its against the warrior code but I really like you Brightpaw," he went on.  
"Ashpaw... I like you too," Brightpaw cut in.  
Ashpaw looked up hopefully. "You do?"  
Brightpaw nodded.  
Ashpaw looked over his shoulder. "Twigtail and Silverstripe will be wondering where I am but do you want to meet somewhere?" he asked.  
Brightpaw thought hard. It was against the warrior code! She couldn't do it! But everything was telling her to say yes.  
"Lets meet at the island tomorrow," she meowed. Ashpaw nodded and bounded into the trees. Brightpaw stared after him. How could she? She had mixtures of guilt and relief and she felt so confused. She raced through the bushes and across the moor. Dawn would be on the way before long. She crept through dirt place and settled in her nest. Echopaw was lightly snoring . Brightpaw closed her eyes. She had thought seeing him would clear her mind but things only seemed more troubling.

The moon was directly above Brightpaw's head. It was almost full. She ran for the lake's edge and headed for the tree bridge. I can't believe I'm doing this! Brightpaw thought guiltily but she also felt excited. She crossed the tree bridge and pushed through the bushes into the clearing.  
Ashpaw was waiting for her. "Hi," he meowed. He yawned. "I thought you weren't coming," he added.  
Brightpaw shook her head. "I wasn't sure if I was coming either."  
Ashpaw flicked his tail. "Come on, I want to show you something," he meowed and jumped into a bush.  
Brightpaw followed him. "Wow!" She gasped as she emerged onto the shore of the island. The lake sparkled like stars in a night sky. It was as still as a sheet of ice. She could see all the territories from here.  
Ashpaw was standing on a large, smooth rock that was jutting out of the ground. He sweeper his tail over a bare spot next to him, inviting her to join him.  
Brightpaw happily obliged. She settled next to him. An icy breeze blew from the lake and Brightpaw shivered. Ashpaw shuffled closer until their fur was brushing. His warmth made Brightpaw feel better and she began to relax. The moon was reflected in the lake, a round white circle on the black water. Brightpaw closed her eyes. This was... Peace.

Brightpaw flung open her eyes.  
Ashpaw was nudging her. His eyes were wide. "It's almost dawn!" He meowed.  
Brightpaw was wide awake now. She hurried to the tree bridge.  
"Wait!" Ashpaw called. Brightpaw turned around to look at him. "Can I see you again?" He puffed as he caught up with her.  
"How about the edge of the lake in my territory tomorrow night," Brightpaw suggested.  
Ashpaw nodded and Brightpaw dashed across the moor toward her camp.

"Brightpaw!" Brightpaw snapped her eyes open. "Brightpaw you're falling asleep again, are you sure you're ok?" Emberfrost asked.  
Brightpaw nodded. "I'm fine, I just haven't been getting much sleep lately," she mumbled. _Because I've been with Ashpaw every night for a whole moon._  
Emberfrost looked at her sternly. "Well you have your final assessment coming up in half a moon. Maybe you should ask Snowleaf for poppy seed," she meowed. Snowleaf had received her full name a moon ago and then Robinwing had joined the Elders den so Snowleaf was the full medicine cat now.  
"I'm fine, really," Brightpaw meowed.  
"Ok, so what were you supposed to do?" Emberfrost mewed.  
Brightpaw felt her fur burning. She dropped her head. "I don't know."  
Emberfrost snorted in amusement.  
_I need to concentrate! _Brightpaw thought. _But I don't want to stop seeing Ashpaw either!_

"Brightsky! Echofur!" the clan cheered. Brightsky felt relief flooding her entire body. She had scraped through her final assessment with two rabbits and a mouse. Echofur had caught a rabbit, a thrush and two mice. Leaf bare would be any day now and they were lucky to find so much prey. Brindlefur and Brightsky's father, Sootclaw stood side by side, proudness welled in their eyes. Emberfrost was sitting beside Jayclaw. They nodded to their old apprentices. Echofur beamed. The sun was dipping low behind the horizon sending streaks of brilliant pinks and oranges across the sky. _How will I stay awake at the vigil tonight?_

Brightsky's head drooped. It was freezing. She shivered as a snowflake dropped on her nose. The first snow was just starting to fall. Dawn was on the way surely? Echofur nudged her and Brightsky lifted her head and forced her eyes to stay open. _Was Ashpaw worried? _Brightsky thought. She felt guilty. She hadn't come tonight. Would Ashpaw not want to see her anymore?

Brightsky raced down to the lake. It was the night after her vigil and she was praying to Starclan that he would be waiting there. Her heart lifted when she saw his grey fur. He was a huddled up body in the leaf bare cold, staring at the lake. The black water lapped at the shore and was gently dragged back out.  
"Ashpaw!" Brightsky called in a hushed voice.  
Ashpaw straightened up, his ears pricked. "Brightpaw!" He spun around. "I'm so sorry I didn't see you last night!" he meowed apologetically.  
Brightsky looked at him wild eyes. "I was about to say the same thing," she meowed. "I'm Brightsky now."  
Ashpaw looked relieved. "Oh good," he mewed. "Because I'm Ashclaw now!"  
Brightsky stared at him in delight. He had been at his vigil too!  
Ashclaw nuzzled Brightsky's cheek. "Isn't this great? Now we're warriors together too!" he murmured.  
Brightsky purred. "It is."

Brightsky crept forward. The brown ears of a rabbit were sticking up out of the snow covered grass. Brightsky took a step closer. She was perfectly camouflaged except for her ginger patches. She leaped and sprinted after the rabbit as it scrambled away through the slippery, icy ground. As Brightsky gained on the rabbit she started to feel something strange. It felt like a worm, no worms, were wriggling in her belly. She felt a sharp pain in her side and yelped. She skidded to a halt and the rabbit scampered into a burrow. Brightsky looked at her stomach. Nothing had scraped her. She hadn't eaten anything bad. A cold feeling if dread, like a icy shard digging in her skin, brewed inside her. I need to see Snowleaf.

Snowleaf looked Brightsky up and down. She pressed her paws against her stomach. Brightsky feared the worst and braced herself. She already knew what Snowleaf was going to say.  
Snowleaf looked at her cheerfully as if nothing was wrong. "Brightsky," she began. Brightsky winced. "You're going to have kits."

Emberfrost ran up to Brightsky. Brightsky looked up from her half eaten shrew. She could already feel her belly growing.  
Emberfrost looked at Brightsky. "Congratulations Brightsky!" Emberfrost exclaimed.  
Brightsky tilted her head in confusion. She sighed when she realized what Emberfrost meant.  
Emberfrost leaned closer. "Who's the father?"  
Brightsky's heart tightened. What do I say? Brightsky opened her mouth but no words came out.  
Emberfrost snorted. "Silly me! You don't have to say if you don't want to. I'll leave you be," with that Emberfrost padded away to sit next to Willowstorm and Twigtail.  
Brightsky breathed a sigh of relief. But the question is how am I going to tell Ashclaw?

Ashclaw sat open mouthed. He gaped at Brightsky, his deep blue eyes wide and confused. "This can't be!" he said.  
"Snowleaf told me," Brightsky mewed.  
Ashclaw snorted disbelievingly. "We'll maybe Windclan should train their medicine cats properly!" he hissed.  
Brightsky winced. Ashclaw had never talked like that. Especially about her own clan! "Windclan train their cats perfectly fine! How dare you insult my clan!" she hissed.  
Ashclaw eyes flashed with emotion. He sighed. "I'm sorry Brightsky. I didn't mean it, honest," he murmured. "I guess I'm just shocked.  
Brightsky let her hackles lie flat and she slumped. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.  
Ashclaw shook his head. "It's my fault," he meowed. "I should never have talked to you."  
Brightsky sat up straight. "I went into you territory!" she argued.  
Ashclaw shuffled closer until their fur touched. "It doesn't matter who's fault it is now," he whispered. "We are going to have some beautiful kits and no matter what happens we will love them."

Brightsky lagged behind her patrol as they checked the Riverclan border. Her belly was swollen and she should have been in the nursery but she had insisted on joining the patrol. "Keep up Brightsky!" Jayclaw called over his shoulder as he marked a clump of bushes.  
"Sorry!" Brightsky apologized and ran to catch up. Rabbitpaw, Nightpelt and Tanglefur waited beside Jayclaw. Brightsky panted as the weight if her unborn kits made it even more difficult to run with each step.  
Jayclaw shook his head. "Nightpelt, take Brightsky back to camp. She is too close to kitting to be running out here," he ordered.  
The black she cat nodded and guided Brightsky back to camp.  
"I can go myself," Brightsky insisted bit Nightpeltrefused to leave her side. Brightsky yelped as a sharp pain hit her stomach like claws had raked her flank. Nightpelt looked at her with wild blue eyes. "Your kits are coming!" she hissed. She shoved her shoulder against Brightsky and pushed her up the final slope and into camp. Snowleaf rushed toward Brightsky and guided her into the nursery. Brightsky flopped into a moss nest and winced as another bout of pain seized her. It's happening.

Brightsky lay in her nest, panting. In the crook of her stomach lay three sleeping bundles if fur. One was ginger and white like her mother, one was dark grey like her father and the other one was grey and white, a mix between his parents. "Sunkit," Brightsky touched the ginger and white she-kit with her tail. She looked at the dark grey she-kit. "Cinderkit," she mumbled. She brushed the flank of the grey and white tom with her tail. "Cloudkit," she finished.  
Snowleaf watched from the entrance to the nursery. "Those are beautiful names," she complimented. "And those are beautiful kits."

Brightsky opened her eyes. She could hear commotion outside. She poked her head out the nursery and gasped. Riverclan's leader, Rainstar, was facing Thornstar, flanked by at least half the clan. Thornstar's ears were flattened against his head and he was hissing.  
"How dare you accuse one of my clan mates of taking a mate from your clan!"  
Brightsky gasped. She realized the one of the warriors that joined Rainstar was Ashclaw. His head was dropped shamefully and he glanced at Brightsky. He mouthed something. I'm sorry.  
"Riverclan wants these kits! They have Riverclan blood in them!" hissed Rainstar. Brightsky realized that her clan ages were looking at her with distrustful and disgusted looks. Brightsky winced. Her kits whined and mewled from her nest and Brightsky silenced them with a brisk flick of her tail.  
"We are prepared to fight for these kits," growled Rainstar.  
"And fight you will!" yowled Thornstar and he leaped on Rainstar's back. The camp broke into a battle scene. Brightsky hushed her kits and settled them behind her nest. She had to fight! She leaped into battle, slashing blindly. Catching ears and muzzles and raking flanks. She turned around. Ashclaw was bring pinned down by Jayclaw.  
"No!" she screeched and rammed into Jayclaw's side, pushing him off of Ashclaw.  
Jayclaw looked at Brightsky, bewildered. "What do you think you're doing?" he meowed.  
Brightsky turned to Ashwing, ignoring Jayclaw's question.  
She gasped. Ashclaw had a gash on his bech and it was uncontrollably flowing with blood. His lips bubbled and his eyes were going cloudy.  
"No no no..." Brightsky murmured. "Ashclaw don't leave me, you haven't even seen out kits yet!"  
Ashclaw looked at her. "I know they would be beautiful, just like you," he murmured. He shuddered and fell limp. His eyes which had once been so intriguing and mysterious were now dull and lifeless. His flank was still. Brightsky stared in horror.  
Jayclaw stood beside her. "I'm sorry."

Brightsky looked up as her three kits received their warrior names. "Sundapple! Cinderfur! Cloudspots!" the clan echoed. Brightsky looked at them and her heart swelled with pride. I wonder if Ashclaw is watching right now? She looked up at the sky. Ashclaw's voice echoed in her head.  
"I love you."

THE END.


End file.
